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3 Ways To Come Up With New Blog Ideas

Blogging is an important part of many overall online marketing campaigns. It’s a way to keep online users entertained, engaged and coming back to the site. It’s also a great way to prove to the search engines that you’re an authority in your particular niche. However, after a while, it can be hard to come up with new blog topics. If you’re in an industry where things don’t really change that often – i.e. any industry not dominated by fashion or seasonality – you or your writers could have a tough time thinking of things to write about. The good news is, there are plenty of free tools and quick tricks you can use to spark your inspiration, including:

Google TrendsTo find out what people really want to read about, visit google.co.nz/trends/. Then use the search bar at the top of the page and enter in your product or service. You’ll get a list of hot searches or popular topics related to your product or service by the help of google adwords at http://www.resultsfirst.co.nz/google-adwords/. For example, a quick search for ‘formal dresses’ shows us people are interested in films about the prom. A client selling formalwear could write a blog about prom/ball films. Or, a search for ‘wine’ shows us people are interested in the art of making fancy wine glasses. A winemaker could write a blog about high-end stemware and how it affects the wine drinking experience.

NewsThe absolute easiest way to generate fresh and interesting content is to provide a response or commentary on a current news item that’s related to your industry. Use a news collating site such as Google News or your favourite newspaper’s site to search for your product or service. For example, a quick search for ‘wedding cake’ turns up stories about crazy record-breaking wedding cakes, as well as controversial items on marriage equality. You can write a blog detailing your thoughts, feelings or opinions on news items.

Tangentially related topicsNot all your blogs have to be about exactly what you do or sell. They can be about other closely related topics that people reading your blog are likely to be interested in. For example if you run a gym, there are only so many blogs you’ll be able to write about different types of machines, or why certain styles of workouts are good for you. However, you can always create new healthy eating recipes and food tips your clients can follow for good results. Although it’s best to test and refine the recipes yourself – this way you can also take photos – you can always reproduce a recipe (with the permission of the original author, if necessary).